Colorado court says police can destroy marijuana seized in investigations

DENVER (AP) — Colorado police can resume destroying marijuana seized in a criminal investigation, thanks to a state Supreme Court ruling that reverses years of requirements that police store marijuana as personal property.

The decision issued Monday reverses a decision hated by law enforcement — that they can't simply destroy pot after they take it as evidence in a case. Instead, police in Colorado have to care for the marijuana, either by keeping the plants alive or by returning dried marijuana in usable form.

Police agencies in Colorado have blamed the ruling for lax pot enforcement, saying they won't store marijuana evidence.

The state's highest court reversed that decision Monday. The court sided with Colorado authorities who argued that the evidence requirement amounted to requiring cops to distribute marijuana, a violation of federal law.